Atiku campaign council to appeal court judgment invalidating candidacy

The Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment on Thursday that invalidated Atiku Abubakar’s nomination as the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate and nullified the party’s David Mark led leadership. The ADC presidential campaign council announced that its lawyers are preparing to seek a stay of execution of that judgment and to appeal the decision at the Court of Appeal. In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication, Atiku rejected the ruling, accusing the All Progressives Congress of using court proceedings to weaken his support in the North and promised that his campaign would continue in Kebbi State after the launch in Sokoto. He also stressed that his candidacy belongs to all Nigerians, not just the North, and interpreted the turnout at his Sokoto rally as evidence of support for his Affordable Life campaign.

The judgment was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, brought by former ADC deputy chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the emergence of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and secretary. Atiku argued that the ruling conflicted with an earlier Federal High Court decision by Justice Musa Liman on 2 July in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, which dismissed a similar challenge on jurisdictional grounds. The campaign council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the legal team would seek interim relief, including a stay of execution where applicable, before pursuing an appeal, though no notice of appeal had yet been filed. He also noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission had monitored the party’s leadership transition and found it compliant with the ADC constitution. The council maintains that Mark and Aregbesola remain the legitimate national officers and urges supporters to keep campaigning, while the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, warned that the ruling could affect other candidates.